麻豆精品 S淸My work] isn 麻豆精品 S檛 about business for me. It 麻豆精品 S檚 about giving women their dignity back. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S擲tacie Becker

麻豆精品 S淚 never thought my decisions would lead to this, 麻豆精品 S� Becker says of her unlikely path. 麻豆精品 S淭he reward 麻豆精品 S� I can 麻豆精品 S檛 really put it into words. 麻豆精品 S�

Becker 麻豆精品 S檚 enthusiasm is not all her own. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a reflection from her clients at Empower Tattoos in Altamonte Springs, where breast cancer survivors look in a mirror after maybe two hours under Becker 麻豆精品 S檚 magical talent and see what they thought had been lost forever: completeness.

From the most basic business standpoint, Becker is filling a need that previously had few real answers. Reconstructive surgeons can build breasts back up for women who have undergone mastectomies. They can even attempt an additional procedure to construct areolas, which means more cutting, folding and stitching. But that final step does not usually restore a realistic appearance long-term. It 麻豆精品 S檚 like a flower stem without the petals, leaving patients with constant reminders of what has been lost.

Or those surgeons can send patients to the tattoo parlor, where Becker uses less invasive instruments to create 3D tattoos that restore the shape and pigmentation of areolas. It 麻豆精品 S檚 easier and cheaper than surgery and, plainly speaking, she makes nipples look as close as possible to the way they did before surgery.

麻豆精品 S淲hen a woman gets her cherries back, 麻豆精品 S� as Becker puts it, 麻豆精品 S渋t changes her quality of life immediately. I 麻豆精品 S檝e seen how much it means. 麻豆精品 S�

What you hear in Becker 麻豆精品 S檚 message isn 麻豆精品 S檛 sales or marketing. She 麻豆精品 S檚 only worked with the medical community since late 2018 and officially launched Empower in the spring of 2019, so even she is still surprised to be discussing how tattoos impact the lives of breast cancer survivors.

麻豆精品 S淭his isn 麻豆精品 S檛 at all what I once thought I was supposed to do, 麻豆精品 S� she says. Like a priceless piece of art, her purpose has been woven together across four winding decades.

Finding Her Calling

Of the hundreds of pictures Becker drew as a child, she remembers the fountain. Actually, she remembers her grandmother drawing Becker drawing the fountain. 麻豆精品 S淲e had a cool bond, 麻豆精品 S� she says. Art became the core of her memories and of her passion, but it wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be her major 麻豆精品 S� first at the University of Miami and then for a semester at UCF nearly 20 years ago. The adults knew better, of course: art 麻豆精品 S檚 a great hobby, but how will you make a living at it?

So Becker studied business while working at a bank.

麻豆精品 S淪omething was completely missing, 麻豆精品 S� she says.

Becker 麻豆精品 S檚 husband, Mike, saw some of the pieces she 麻豆精品 S檇 been painting on the side and suggested she apprentice as a tattoo artist. Together, they opened their own shop in 2009. Occasionally, she 麻豆精品 S檇 use her expertise to help a client cover up a scar. But the nexus happened in November 2018 when she designed a pink ribbon on the neck of a breast-cancer survivor. The woman 麻豆精品 S檚 plastic surgeon, Edgar Sosa, saw the clean lines of the tattoo and contacted Becker to see if she could put the finishing touches on his patients by creating nipples. That 麻豆精品 S檚 when she did a little research and found:

• More than 100,000 breast-cancer patients undergo some form of mastectomy every year in the U.S.
• One in eight women will be affected at some point in their lives.
• requires most types of health insurance carriers to cover all stages of reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy for breast cancer patients.

The more she studied, the more Becker realized tattoos would be a simple way to finish the difficult journey for breast cancer patients. No more surgery. No more poking and prodding. And no huge medical bill.

麻豆精品 S淚t isn 麻豆精品 S檛 about business for me, 麻豆精品 S� Becker says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 about giving women their dignity back. 麻豆精品 S�

Only it hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 been quite so simple. There 麻豆精品 S檚 still the stigma of tattoos in the medical community. Unfortunately, and perhaps predictably, insurance companies are more likely to reimburse for costly and painful surgical restoration of areolas rather than preferred alternatives 麻豆精品 S� like tattoos. This despite the fact that many surgeons like Sosa and Charles Newman (another Orlando-area specialist who now refers patients to Empower) admit that the tattoo nipple is more authentic.

Becker has become relentless, reaching out to government officials, insurance coalitions, surgeons and the American Cancer Society. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 willing to work with everyone because too many people need this, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 not slowing down. 麻豆精品 S�

Her client stories provide the fuel. Like her first breast-cancer patient after launching Empower. A retired kindergarten teacher who didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want more surgery, she just wanted to feel like herself again. Becker consulted with the woman, then went to work on the tattoos. Two hours later, Becker took a picture of the woman looking in the mirror 麻豆精品 S� the way her grandmother once painted a picture of Becker painting a fountain.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l never forget the look on her face, 麻豆精品 S� says Becker. 麻豆精品 S淎t that moment, it dawned on her 麻豆精品 S� and on me 麻豆精品 S� what it meant to have her breasts complete. 麻豆精品 S�

Jan. 1 麻豆精品 S� 聽After UCF completed their first perfect football season and a 34-27 defeat over Auburn at the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, former UCF linebacker聽Shaquem Griffin 麻豆精品 S�16聽admires the championship trophy. Shaquem made history in April when he became the first one-handed player to be drafted in the NFL, joining his brother聽Shaquill Griffin 麻豆精品 S�16聽on the Seattle Seahawks’ team.

Jan. 21 – A student takes some time between classes to stretch out on Memory Mall.

Feb. 23 麻豆精品 S撀燛ngineering graduate student Estefania Bohorquez ’17 shows off her aerial acrobatic skills.

March 14 麻豆精品 S� Studio art major John Currie ’18 works on a special portrait of John C. Hitt to honor his 26 years of service as UCF’s fourth president.

April 5 麻豆精品 S� Singer Jesse McCartney performs at CFE Arena during UCFestival’s concert night.

April 7 麻豆精品 S� This year, UCF raised more than $1.5 million for Knight-Thon, an annual dance marathon that benefits Children’s Miracle Network.

April 13 麻豆精品 S� Director of jazz studies and Pegasus Professor Jeff Rupert conducts a performance during UCF Celebrates the Arts.

May 1 麻豆精品 S� After a six-month closure, a cute pup takes a dip in the newly renovated Reflecting Pond, which now has a new foundation and color-changing LED lights. *Note: Dogs are not allowed in the water, so don’t try this on your own.

May 3 麻豆精品 S� During his final commencement ceremonies, former UCF President John C. Hitt conferred degrees to more than 8,100 students. In October of last year,聽Hitt announced he would be stepping down from the presidency on June 30, 2018. Former UCF provost Dale Whittaker became the university’s fifth president on July 1.

June 5 麻豆精品 S� Senior studio art major Jenna Chastain works with clay during an art class in the Visual Arts building.

June 5 麻豆精品 S� 聽While in a lab, a聽student works on a project involving display screens and motorcycle helmets.

June 20 麻豆精品 S� Two students raced to the top of the Climbing Tower located in the .

June 29 麻豆精品 S� Construction on the new UCF Downtown campus is underway and on schedule to open Fall 2019.

Aug. 2 麻豆精品 S� After partnering with two other institutions to manage the Arecibo Observatory earlier this year, UCF President Dale Whittaker traveled to Puerto Rico for a visit to the facility.

July 27聽 麻豆精品 S� An instructor at the demonstrates how to put out a fire during a cooking class.

Aug. 21 麻豆精品 S� Afternoon Florida storm clouds cover campus as students make their return during the first week of fall classes.

Sept. 5 – The sun rises over the Charging Knight statue outside of聽Spectrum Stadium.

Sept. 5 麻豆精品 S� Campus on a quiet morning.

Sept. 19 麻豆精品 S撀�After more than a year of waiting, popular local taco spot Gringos Locos opened its UCF location in Knights Plaza.

Sept. 21聽 麻豆精品 S� The get ready to perform on the football field during half-time at the game against Florida Atlantic University.

Sept. 29 麻豆精品 S� Knightro and the cheer team entertain a packed stadium during UCF’s game against Pittsburg, which ended in a 45 – 14 win for the Knights.

Oct. 2 麻豆精品 S� During the evening, the Pegasus on the lights up the building.

Oct. 3 麻豆精品 S� After serving as UCF’s interim provost since April, Elizabeth A. Dooley has become the university’s provost and vice president for .

Oct. 30 麻豆精品 S� In August, UCF partnered with the Nemours Children Hospital to create PEDS Academy, a program that provides specialized STEM education to children hospitalized at the facility.

Nov. 8 麻豆精品 S� Students light up CFE Arena during Homecoming 2018‘s Concert Knight, which featured performances from rapper A$AP Ferg and singer Ella Mai.

Nov. 9 麻豆精品 S� Students show off their excitement as they prepare to take part in UCF’s biggest Homecoming tradition 麻豆精品 S� .

Nov. 9 麻豆精品 S� During this year’s Spirit Splash, UCF President Dale Whittaker jumped into the Reflecting Pond alongside students. He promised take part in the tradition if 50,000 students would attend the first five home football games of the 2018 season 麻豆精品 S� more than 55,000 students took on the challenge.

Dec. 1 麻豆精品 S� 聽After joining Knight Nation this football season, makes an appearance at the American Athletic Conference Championship game, during which fans wore leis to show their support for injured quarterback McKenzie Milton. UCF Athletics gave out 40,000 leis to fans in the spirit of #10hana, a movement that started in the local community and on social media.

Dec. 1 麻豆精品 S� During the聽American Athletic Conference title game against Memphis,聽45,176 fans packed the stands as UCF secured a 56 -41 victory, extending their undefeated streak to 25 games and advancing them to the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019.

More than 1,000 UCF students and faculty members will participate in the festival of performing and visual arts that will showcase studio art, music, theatre, dance, gaming, animation, photography and film. This is the first time all the UCF artistic endeavors can be experienced in one place, and all activities are free and open to the public.

The week also will provide invited high school music and theater students unique access to workshops led by UCF faculty members and an opportunity to showcase their talents during select performances at a state-of-the-art venue.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e presenting the depth and breadth of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 arts units to Orlando, taking them off campus and presenting them in one of the best spaces in the southeast, 麻豆精品 S� said Jeff Moore, director of the UCF School of Performing Arts and artistic director of the festival. 麻豆精品 S淎lso, this shows how arts integration across all disciplines happens at UCF. This creative environment is necessary to develop community outreach. 麻豆精品 S�

Events are still being added to the UCF Celebrates the Arts schedule, but some of the highlights will feature:

* 聽Icarus at the Edge of Time. The UCF Symphony Orchestra will perform the music of composer Phillip Glass with an accompanying movie by Al & Al, based on a children 麻豆精品 S檚 book by Columbia University physicist Brian Greene about a boy traveling in outer space who challenges the power of a black hole. Friday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Kate Mulgrew, who portrayed Capt. Katharyn Janeway in the Star Trek: Voyager TV series, will provide live narration for the fable.

The Icarus presentation is part of a National Science Foundation project that seeks to broaden the participation of students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) research activities, and each year UCF organizes some STEM activities in an artistic way. This event will be an interdisciplinary arts-and-sciences collaboration involving the School of Performing Arts and the College of Sciences.聽 麻豆精品 S淚t is an excellent example of the integration of science, literature, and the performing and visual arts, 麻豆精品 S� said Debra Reinhart, UCF assistant vice president for Research and Commercialization.

* 聽Several musical collaborations are planned with UCF partners. The Flying Horse Big Band will perform a cabaret with the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, themed 麻豆精品 S淪hakespeare in Love 麻豆精品 S� (Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m.); UCF Choirs will provide the vocals for the Orlando Repertory Theatre 麻豆精品 S檚 production of Civil War Voices, which uses diaries and letters to tell the true stories of people who lived through the war (several matinee productions throughout the week); and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will hold a rehearsal for Tosca with an instructional class for voice students following.

* 聽Theatre UCF performances will include scenes from Nine, Hair, class projects, alumni cameos, and scenes from students who have been nominated for Kennedy Center Irene Ryan Acting awards. The Theatre UCF Dance showcase will feature a selection of dance pieces choreographed and performed by UCF students and faculty members.

* 聽Music concerts will include performances from the Collide Percussion Music Festival, UCF Symphonic Band, UCF choruses, and the chamber and wind ensembles.

* 聽Students in the School of Visual Arts and Design will have works from digital media, film, animations, games and studio arts showcased on every floor at the Dr. Phillips Center. SVAD faculty will present lectures on the arts and will be available for portfolio reviews from high school students. A Game Jam will be held so patrons can watch games being developed during a 24-hour period.

* The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy also will demonstrate the interactive development process of video-game design. Final products and artwork will be on display showcasing the works of students and professionals.

* Performances will be scheduled for select high school musicians. There also will be clinics and workshops for the participating musicians. Schools that would like to participate can contact Kelly Miller, coordinator of music education, at Kelly.Miller@ucf.edu.

Organizers of the festival hope to expand its length and scope in coming years.

麻豆精品 S淲e are using this opportunity to share the products and performances of our university students and faculty. We want the world to know that UCF invests in the arts, and this festival makes that statement, 麻豆精品 S� Moore said. 麻豆精品 S淭his celebration is a showcase for UCF to share the return on that investment with the city and the entire Central Florida region. We are looking forward to this inaugural event and sharing UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 arts activities,聽both on and off campus,聽with everyone聽for years to come. 麻豆精品 S�

Visit 聽for more information and updated scheduling. All events are free, but tickets are required for many of the programs. Tickets will be available on the website聽later this month.

Verge Art Brooklyn is a highly competitive national art fair juried by a panel of distinguished arts professionals, curators and critics.

Hammond, a first-year student in the MFA Studio Art & the Computer program, applied to the exhibition for a midterm project in The Professional Practice in Art, a class taught by Elizabeth Brady Robinson, an associate professor in the School of Visual Arts and Design.

Hammond 麻豆精品 S檚 work wasexhibited to a large audience of collectors, curators, critics and arts patronsat Armory Week, one of the largest art fairs in the nation.

The Verge Art Brooklyn exhibition featured 70 gallery exhibitors and 40participants from international galleries and independent artists.

Hammond 麻豆精品 S檚 next project will be to curate a national exhibition titled 麻豆精品 S淟ooking Back, Trudging Forward 麻豆精品 S� at B-Complex in Atlanta. The exhibition opens March 11.

Click here to view Hammond 麻豆精品 S檚 e-portfolio.

The installation, dubbed 麻豆精品 S淐ONNECTIONS, 麻豆精品 S� is a 10-foot sphere illuminated by projections of images and videos about movement. It 麻豆精品 S檚 inspired by recent debates over creating alternative transportation in and around Central Florida, including the SunRail commuter train and Florida High Speed Rail.

Viewers of the installation are asked to respond to the question, 麻豆精品 S淲hat moves you? 麻豆精品 S� They answer by sending text messages that are projected onto the sphere.

麻豆精品 S淲e were inspired by the transformative potential of SunRail and Florida High Speed Rail to change the way Central Floridians move and engage with their communities and beyond, 麻豆精品 S� says Dave Moran, one of three UCF Digital Media and Studio Art master 麻豆精品 S檚 students who created the installation.

Ultimately, 麻豆精品 S淐ONNECTIONS 麻豆精品 S� aims to encourage dialogue about mobility and community design in Central Florida through art, Moran says. The commuter and high-speed rails offer alternatives to Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 auto-centric community design and have the potential to improve the quality of life for Central Floridians, he added.

Moran and fellow students Jillian Perez Dudziak and Gary Seymour Jr. created 麻豆精品 S淐ONNECTIONS 麻豆精品 S� as part of a semester-long class project with Digital Media Associate Professor Phil Peters, and they began showcasing the exhibit at local cafes and markets in April.

麻豆精品 S淭he students were tasked with creating an innovative, interactive installation about our environment, 麻豆精品 S� Peters said. 麻豆精品 S淭his project is unique in the way that it engages the community to celebrate the relationship between art and urban policy and planning. 麻豆精品 S�

The installation will continue to engage viewers beyond the classroom when 麻豆精品 S淐ONNECTIONS 麻豆精品 S� is featured at Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 Downtown Arts District 3rd Thursday Gallery Hop on Aug. 19.

The hop officially starts at 6 p.m. Moran says 麻豆精品 S淐ONNECTIONS 麻豆精品 S� will be on display from 8 to 11 p.m. outside the CityArts Factory, located at 29 S. Orange Ave.

Third Thursday is a monthly event that invites attendees to celebrate art and culture during a 麻豆精品 S渉op 麻豆精品 S� through galleries, restaurants and boutiques in Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 Downtown Arts District. The students 麻豆精品 S� art inspired this month 麻豆精品 S檚 theme, which explores the relationship between art and transportation through a series of installations and pieces designed by local artists.

麻豆精品 S淲e were thrilled when the UCF students approached us to host ‘CONNECTIONS’ and were inspired by their energy and ideas, 麻豆精品 S� said Shanon Larimer, executive director of the Downtown Arts District. 麻豆精品 S淥ur installation exhibition allows Central Floridians and visitors alike to consider all of their alternatives to travel and how they impact their wallets, conveniences, environment and the overall economy. 麻豆精品 S�

The Downtown Development Board, the City of Orlando and Metroplan Orlando joined UCF and the CityArts Factory in supporting this month 麻豆精品 S檚 3rd Thursday event. Airstar America donated the sphere used in the installation.

To learn more about 麻豆精品 S淐ONNECTIONS, 麻豆精品 S� visit www.txtart.info, or become a fan of 麻豆精品 S淐ONNECTIONS 麻豆精品 S� on Facebook.

She found her artistic voice when she was finally able to apply paint to canvas.

Two years later and with the guidance of Carla Poindexter, her mentoring professor and associate director of art at UCF, senior Molly Bender will graduate this semester with a B.F.A. in studio art, specializing in painting.

After graduation, Bender wants to make a career out of painting.

Senior painting major, Jessica De Salvo said she respects the struggle in the paint strokes found in Bender’s paintings.

“What I mean by struggling in her strokes is that when an artist has made a stroke and decided she didn’t want it anymore, she goes back over it with another layer of paint,” De Salvo said. “It’s always good to see a struggle in a painting, because you know that the artist is putting a lot of thought in their piece of work.”

Poindexter said the UCF Art Department aims to get art students in a good graduate program, and help students develop a series of related work that shows skillful rendering and application.

“It’s really important to help students find their visual voice, and that is what Molly is attempting to do,” Poindexter said. “Plus, we try to prepare them professionally for the art world; to guide them in an understanding of contemporary issues, and we prepare them to speak and write about their work.”

Source: Central Florida Future. To continue reading visit , by Tina Russell; Published: Monday, January 18, 2010. Updated: Monday, January 18, 2010

Poindexter teaches Intermediate and Advanced Painting and another course in Graduate Studies, Book Arts or Drawing. In partnership with the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), she has taught an advanced class in experimental Book Arts to upper level UCF art students on site at the OMA.

As the Director of Summer Study Abroad in Scotland for five years, she is the instructor of record and mentoring advisor for UCF art students who study at the Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland, for two weeks each summer.

Poindexter is a studio artist with over twenty-five year’s professional experience in painting and drawing. In the past ten years she has expanded her research into photography and book arts including a limited edition visual artist’s book entitled, The Devil at the Door. The visual book and a series of related hand colored etchings were funded by a 2002 UCF Professional Development Research Award.